Rubber heel with circular adjustable rear section



Feb. 16, 1965 a. GILOWITZ 3,169,323

RUBBER HEEL WITH CIRCULAR ADJUSTABLE REAR SECTION Filed June 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H61! nae .l 1E1! FIG. 5 27 1-76 6 INVENIOR xx /5 Benjamin G/low/fz r Feb. 16, 1965 B. GILOWITZ RUBBER HEEL WITH CIRCULAR ADJUSTABLE REAR SECTION Filed June 24, 1963 lsa FIG. /0

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ilV///////// "I/II/I INVENTOR Benjamin Gi/owhz BY Mai/@ 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent Oil ice 3,l69,328 Patented Feb. 16, 1965 Benjamin Gilowitz, 1996 lllelmont Ave, Bronx, N.Y., assignor of one-half to Harry Litznan, Bronx, NY.

Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 289,828 6 (Ilaims. (ill. 3639) This invention relates to rubber heels for shoes and it is an improvement on the rubber heel of my Patent No. 2,669,037, of February 16, 1954.

In that patent and in earlier patents, the body of the rubber heel is thick and formed at its rear on its bottom face with a recess to receive a circular section that can be rotatively shifted or adjusted as it wears at one point in order that a fresh portion of the section may be disposed at the point of greatest wear in the use of the shoe. In such old rubber heels the formation of the circular recess in the heel body leaves at the sides of the bottom of the body two rearwardly tapered wings or corners which have a tendency to spring away from the circular section even though they are on a solid connecting portion of the body; and in the above mentioned patent anchoring means were provided on those pointed finger or wing parts to prevent them from spreading apart or moving outwardly away from the circular section. Further in those old rubber heels, the body had to be made unnecessarily thick in order to have a circular recess or cavity deep enough to receive a circular section having sufficient thickness to give the desired cushioning action.

In my improved rubber heel I do away with the unnecessary thickness of the body of the old rubber heel and make the circular section the full thickness of the body but at the same time provide means for anchoring or tieing together the two pointed wing portions at the sides of the heel, so that they cannot spring away from the circular section. The improved heel thus saves material and permits the circular section, which is the important cushioning part, to be made thicker than the circular sections in the old heels.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved rubber heel of the character indicated in the preceding paragraph in which the tapered finger or wing portions will not only be connected together but will be effectively interlocked with the circular section.

Another object is to provide an improved rubber heel of this character in which the circular section has on its upper face a diametrically extending channel to receive a thin strip that connects the tapered wing portions and that may be made of rubber, fiber or metal.

Another object is to provide an improved rubber heel with a circular section that may be removably fastened by either a centrally positioned screw or by one or more screws so located that their heads will not be worn down in the use of the heel.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a shoe showing the improved rubber heel applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view;

FIG. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view on line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the body of the heel looking at its bottom face;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of the upper face of the circular section;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the body portion of the heel,

FIGS. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views taken on the lines 8% and 99 respectively in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a further modified form of the body looking at its upper face;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan of a modified form of circular section showing how it may be fastened to the shoe heel by two screws instead of a single centrally positioned screw; and

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing a difiercnt arrangement of screw holes.

Referring more in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings the numeral 15 denotes the body portion of the rubber heel and 16 the circular cushioning section that is disposed at the rear of the heel where the impact of the shoe causes the greatest wear. The rubber heel covers the bottom of the leather heel H of the shoe S as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The body 15 and the section 16 are made of rubber or rubber-like resilient material, and they are both Hat and of equal thickness, the latter being preferably about 51 of an inch. As seen in FIG. 5, the rear part of the body 15 is formed with a substantially semi-circular cutout portion or cavity 17 which leaves two rearwardly tapered finger portions 18 at the sides of the body but on those portions are formed opposed inwardly projecting anchoring arms 1% adapted to be received in diametrically arranged notches 20, formed in the peripheral edge of the section 16, when the forward portion of the latter is disposed in the cavity or opening 17. The arms 19 are of rectangular shape and about long so as to provide an effective interlocking connection between the two members of the heel. In order to prevent the tapered side portions 18 from spreading the arms 19 are united by a straight flat connecting strap 21 which, as shown in FIG. 5, may be formed in one piece with the arms 19. This connecting member 21 is of less thickness than the arms 19 and is disposed in the plane of the top face of the body. It is adapted to seat in a shallow groove or channel 22 formed in the top face of the circular section 16 and extending diametrically of the latter between the notches 20, as seen in FIG. 6.

The body is fastened to the heel H by a plurality -of nails 23 in suitably spaced holes 24 formed in the forward portion of the body, and also if desired, by two nails in holes 25 formed in the arms 19. The circular section 16 may be variously fastened to the leather heel but, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, it is fastened by a single wood screw 26 positioned in a hole 27 formed at the center of the section. The hole 27 registers with a hole 28 formed in the connecting strap 21. Because of the effective interlocking engagement of-the arms 19 on the body with the notches 2%) in the circular section, the latter may be securely fastened by the single centrally positioned screw. When the rearrnost portion of the section 16 has been worn down, the screw 27 may be readily removed, so that the section may be pried out of the body 15, then rotated and replaced with the unworn portion of the section positioned at the rear of the heel, the screw being then replaced.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7, .8 and 9 difiers from the one previously described only in that instead of making the connecting strip or strap in one piece with the arms, it is made of metal. As shown the connection is a flat rectangular metal strap 21 with its ends set in the arms 19 of the bodyle and suitably line 32. in FIG. 12 than on the other side.

might be termed the outer side and the holes 31 are; therefore located onthe inner side of the central line 32. 'The heads of the screws are countersunk in the fixed thereto as by metal'pins or rivets 29. In all other respects the construction and operation of this form 'is the same as in FIGS. l'6. p

Instead of making the connecting strip integral with the arms or of metal it may be-made' of any hard fiberous material, as shown in FIG. 10. In the latterthe rubber body has suitably bonded'orfastened'toits topface a sheet of hard composition fiber 15 having the outline shape of the body and-formed with a substantially semicircular opening l7 so as to leave a straight connecting strip 21 that ties the two arm 19*. together. In all other respects the constructionand operation of this form of the invention is the same as the one first described.

In FIGS. 11 and 12 I have shown two forms of circular sections that are adapted to be fastened to the leather mes es heel by two wood screws instead of a single. centrally positioned screw; 'These sections are like the section 16 except for the fastening means. The section la in FIG. 10 has two screw receiving holes 3% diametrically located in a plane at right angles to a central plane pass ing through the notches 20*, the holes being equally spaced from the center of the section and also spaced a suitable distance from the peripheral edge of the latter the section thatis worn down in the use of the shoe; The

tions of said wingsto prevent them from springing away' from each other, said connecting means'includmg a straight, flat strap of less thickness than said body section and extending transversely of the body section at the rear of said opening, said strap having its top surface in the plane of the top surfaceof the body section, said circular section having'in its top surface a straight diametrically extending shallowchannel adapted to receive said strap when one-half of the circular section is positioned in said openingin the body section, fastener receiving openings in said body section to permit it to be securedio a shoe heel, and at least one fastener receiving opening in said circular section to permit it to be removably secured to the shoe heel, together with interlocking means between the body and circular sections at each side of the heel, said interlocking means comprising two diametrically opposed and inwardly ex tending generally rectangular arms integral with the rear ends of said side wings, said arms having the same width as said strap and extending downwardly from end portions of said strap, said circular section having in its edge diametrically arranged notches to sungly reso that they will be substantially away from the area of 7V section 16 of FIG. l2-also has two screw receiving holes 31 but they are arranged closer to the respective notches 20 and hence are more remote from the area of the sec tion that is first worn away. That area of wear is of course on the rear portion of the bottom face of the circular section but more .wear takes place on one side of the forwardly and rearwardlyextending dot and dash That side section and it. is not likely that the section will be worn down to such an extent that the heads of the screws will be .worn'away tosuch an extent that the screwdriver" kerfs in the heads of'the screws become useless. How ever if desired special screws with extra deep kerfs may be used in the holes and'31.

' n will be noted that in all forms of the inventionthe transverse strap connects the two side wings 18 and that the opposed arms of the-body section formend portions making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed,

' I claim;

l. A rubber-heel for attachment to a leather shoe heel comprising a fiat body section and a flat rotatably shiftable circular section, the two sections being of the same thickness, said body section' having at its rear a substantially semi-circular opening forming two rearward:

ceive said arms when said strap is seated in said channel, whereby said arms form portions of said strap.

2. The rubber heel of claim 1 in which said strap has a centrally located hole to register with a centrally located hole-in said circular section, said registering holes being adapted to receive a single screw for removably securing said circular section to a shoe heel.

3. The rubber heel of claim 1 in which said circular section has two fastener receiving holes each located adjacent to one of its two notches and spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge of the circular section, whereby when the two sections are assembled, the 'rearmost hole will be located on the inner side of a center line extending forwardly and rearwardly of the heel. 4. The rubber heel of claim 1 in which said strap, said arms and said bodysection are integrally formed of one piece of resilient material.

1y tapered side wings, means connecting the-end por-' I l 5. The rubber heel of'claim 1 in which said strap is a strip ofmetal having its ends set in said arms and rigidly secured to the latter. I

6. The rubber heel of claim 1 in which said body section is composed of a thick bottom layer of resilient material and a thin top layer of hard fiberous composition material, the two layers having contacting surface portions bonded togetherpsaid bottom layer including said arms, said wings and the portion from which said wings project, said top layer covering all of said parts of the bottom layer and having a substantially semi-circular 1 opening forming said transverse strap'between said opposedarms. a l 7 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS, 789,089

7 5/05 Frank; 36-36 2,095,110 10/,37 Toursier 3636 2,669,037. 2/ 54 Gilowitz 3639 X EORDAN FRANKLIN,:Primary Examiner.

FRANK J. COHEN Examiner. 

1. A RUBBER HEEL FOR ATTACHMENT TO A LEATHER SHOE HEEL COMPRISING A FLAT BODY SECTION AND A FLAT ROTATABLY SHIFTABLE CIRCULAR SECTION, THE TWO SECTIONS BEING OF THE SAME THICKNESS, SAID BODY SECTION HAVING AT ITS REAR A SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CIRCULAR OPENING FORMING TWO REARWARDLY TAPERED SIDE WINGS, MEANS CONNECTING THE END PORTIONS OF SAID WINGS TO PREVENT THEM FROM SPRINGING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING A STRAIGHT, FLAT STRAP OF LESS THICKNESS THAN SAID BODY SECTION AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE BODY SECTION AT THE REAR OF SAID OPENING, SAID STRAP HAVING ITS TOP SURFACE IN THE PLANE OF THE TOP SURFACE OF THE BODY SECTION, SAID CIRCULAR SECTION HAVING IN ITS TOP SURFACE A STRAIGHT DIAMETRICALLY EXTENDING SHALLOW CHANNEL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID STRAP WHEN ONE-HALF OF THE CIRCULAR SECTION IS POSITIONED IN SAID OPENING IN THE BODY SECTION, FASTENER RECEIVING OPENINGS IN SAID BODY SECTION TO PERMIT IT TO BE SECURED TO A SHOE HEEL, AND AT LEAST ONE FASTENER RECEIVING OPENING IN SAID CIRCULAR SECTION TO PERMIT IT TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE SHOE HEEL, TOGETHER WITH INTERLOCKING MEANS BETWEEN THE BODY AND CIRCULAR SECTIONS AT EACH SIDE OF THE HEEL, SAID INTERLOCKING MEANS COMPRISING TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED AND INWARDLY EXTENDING GENERALLY RECTANGULAR ARMS INTEGRAL WITH THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SIDE WINGS, SAID ARMS HAVING THE SAME WIDTH AS SAID STRAP AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM END PORTIONS OF SAID STRAP, SAID CIRCULAR SECTION HAVING IN ITS EDGE DIAMETRICALLY ARRANGED NOTCHES TO SNUGLY RECEIVE SAID ARMS WHEN SAID STRAP IS SEATED IN SAID CHANNEL, WHEREBY SAID ARMS FORM PORTIONS OF SAID STRAP. 